On June 20, 2011, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned ten shipping companies and three individuals affiliated with Iran's national shipping line. The official statement is below:
Continuing efforts to target the financial underpinnings of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced the designation of 10 shipping companies and three individuals affiliated with IRISL. Responding to Iran’s continued efforts to evade sanctions and its ongoing creation and use of new front companies, subsidiaries, and affiliates to protect IRISL and to advance its proliferation activities, today’s actions targeted IRISL’s operations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, China and the United Kingdom (UK).
“As the private sector around the world increasingly turns its back on Iran’s national shipping line, IRISL’s efforts to evade international sanctions and increased scrutiny have grown more and more desperate,” said OFAC Director Adam Szubin. “The persistent attempts by IRISL to deceive the world, including through the front companies identified today, attest to the weakness of IRISL as it tries to maintain a semblance of legitimacy while supporting Iran’s proliferation activities.”
Pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13382 – which is aimed at prohibiting transactions with, and freezing the assets of proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters, thereby isolating them from the U.S. financial and commercial systems – Treasury today designated:
- UAE-based companies Pacific Shipping, Great Ocean Shipping Services, Azores Shipping, Atlantic Intermodal,Crystal Shipping and Pearl Shipping for acting for or on behalf of IRISL affiliate Oasis Freight Agency, designated by Treasury in September 2008, and/or IRISL.
- Top IRISL managers and executives Mohammad Moghaddami Fardand Ahmad Tafazoli. Fard is based in the UAE and is a director of IRISL affiliates and designated companies Oasis Freight Agency and Iran o Hind Shipping. Tafazoli is the managing director of IRISL Marine Services and Engineering Company (IMSENGCO), also designated by Treasury in September 2008.
- Alireza Ghezel Ayagh, Managing Director for Asia Marine Network, an IRISL front company in Singapore designated by Treasury in September 2008. Ghezel Ayagh is also a director of Singapore-based Leading Maritime, which was also designated today.
- Sinose Maritime, the agent of both Asia Marine Network and IRISL in Singapore.
- Santex Lines, IRISL’s regional office located in China. Ahmad Tafazoli is the General Manager for Santex Lines.
- Fairway Shipping, a shipping company located in the UK controlled by Mohammad Hadi Pajand, who Treasury designated in November 2010 for being company secretary of Irinvestship Ltd and director of Lancelin Shipping Company, two previously designated entities affiliated with IRISL.
In a coordinated action, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. today announced a 317-count indictment of 11 corporations and five individuals for their roles in a conspiracy involving IRISL and its affiliates to evade sanctions, in which the defendants repeatedly falsified the records of banks located in New York County to illegally access the U.S. financial system.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. added, “Today our office is shining a spotlight on the fraudulent activities of IRISL, which has been sanctioned by the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations for its role in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. IRISL and its sanctioned affiliates used a web of aliases or corporate alter egos across the globe to exploit the services of financial institutions located in Manhattan. For sanctions to be effective, they must be enforced. New York remains the number one target of terrorist organizations around the world, and today's joint action will make it more difficult for Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism. It falls to both federal and state authorities to work cooperatively in an area vital to all of our security.”
IRISL was designated by Treasury in September 2008 pursuant to E.O. 13382 for its provision of logistical services to Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), the arm of the Iranian military that oversees its ballistic missile program. Since then, IRISL has been increasingly isolated from the international financial system and has in turn engaged in deceptive behavior to evade the impact of sanctions and increased scrutiny of its activities. This behavior has included reliance on an expansive global network of front companies, falsifying shipping documents, changing the nominal ownership of vessels, and repainting and renaming ships, all to hide the affiliation of vessels with IRISL. Including today’s action, Treasury has designated 121 companies and individuals affiliated with IRISL since September 2008.
Identifying Information:
Entity: Pacific Shipping DMCEST
Address: 206, Sharaf Building, Al Mina Road, Bur Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Entity: Great Ocean Shipping Services L.L.C.
Address: 2nd Floor, Sharaf Building, Al Mina Road, Bur Dubai,
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Entity: Azores Shipping Company LL FZE
Address: P.O. Box 5232, Fujairah, United Arab Emirate
Entity: Atlantic Intermodal
Location: United Arab Emirates
Entity: Crystal Shipping FZE
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Entity: Pearl Ship Management L.L.C.,
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Individual: Moghaddami Fard Mohammad
DOB: July 19, 1956
Passport: N10623175 (Iran) issued March 27, 2007; expires March 26, 2012
Individual: Tafazoli, Ahmad
AKA: Tafazoly, Ahmad
AKA: Tafazzoli, Ahmad
DOB: May 27, 1956
POB: Bojnord, Iran
Passport: R10748186 (Iran) issued January 22, 2007; expires January 22, 2012
Individual: Ghezel Ayagh, Alireza
AKA: Ghezelayagh, Alireza
DOB: March 8, 1979
POB: Kerman, Iran
Passport: E12596608 (Iran)
Entity: Sinose Maritime PTE. LTD.
Address: 200 Middle Road, #14-03/04 Prime Centre 188980, Singapore
Entity: Santex Lines Limited
AKA: Santex Shipping Company
AKA: Santexlines
Address: Suite 1501, Shanghai Zhongrong Plaza, 1088 Pudong (S)
Road, Shanghai 200122, China
Alt. Address: F23A-D, Times Plaza No. 1, Taizi Road,
Shekou, Shenzhen 518067, China
Entity: Leading Maritime PTE. LTD
AKA: Leadmarine
Address: 200 Middle Road, #14-01 Prime Centre 188980, Singapore
Entity: Fairway Shipping LTD
Address: 83 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0HW, United Kingdom